Sunday, February 3, 2008

In the second installment of his Somnia series, a Portland based modern classical composer, Evan Bartholomew, continues his meditative descent through Secret Entries Into Darkness. The minimal ambient sound slightly curves around the deep entrance, brushing the wet moonlight on the cave's bold stone, before it breaks into sheaths of white, and vanishes with echoes. Unlike its predecessor, this journey in this follow up is more rhythmic and darker, sustaining an eerie and desolate feeling, as the composer dissects the abstract lines between the realms of life and death during our weightless dive into Xibalba. In his streaming hypnotic voyage, Bartholomew perfects his production and the art of revealing his soul to the listener through music. The gravity of the emotion is immediate and heavy; for when the album ends, we are left alone and helpless, at the bottom of the void, only to be born again. Once again, the album is signed, numbered, and limited to 777 wax sealed copies packaged in sewn, soy ink stamped, recycled paper. Recommended if you like Steven Reich, Brian Eno, and Philip Glass. Absolute favorite track : Soft Spots In The Tyranny Of Matter.